Happy New Year and Four Days

It's been exactly one year and four days since I started writing this little piece of unnoticed blog material, and I must say I've enjoyed writing maybe as much as you enjoyed reading the infrequent updates of musical (and sports related) material I've subjected you to. 2011 was actually a pretty good year I must say. I know the general common interest of the start of a new year is high hopes of generally better 365 days than previous, but I think this year my resolution is to hope for more of the same. I know that's a little dismal, but I think it's more realistic to anticipate the ups and the accompanied downs together....No year will ever be perfect. But if this year yields the same results as 2011, I'll be happy.

I apologize for missing opportunities to post over the holidays, but luckily there wasn't much on the horizon worth posting about. The days are short, and I'm just too tired I suppose to dig for new material. But it's a new year, so, I do plan on writing more, time permitting. My list of 2011's best moments was going to be spectacular (at least in my mind) but who am I kidding? It would have bored non-Mavs fans, generated more acclaim for artists I've already posted numerous times on here, and I didn't feel like writing it as much as you don't feel like reading it.

I will however say that 2011 had some major musical upsets dotted here and there. From adult contemporary renditions of post-punk hits, to Justin Bieber's self-comparison to Kurt Cobain, it was a fun year for disappointments to the human ear. This year, I hope a creative revolution will be reignited in the musical world, I won't get my hopes up, but I look forward to little sparks to go off here and there.

So I hope this will be my return to the blogosphere, and I look forward to another great year of the mediocrity and surprise enjoyments. Since I started this blog with one of my top favorite songs, perhaps of all time, I will celebrate my return with it as well....

Happy Day After Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for having survived another holiday, cheers. And obviously...
leftovers.

I"m not Sayin'

I certainly don't mean to "NBA Lockout" this blog, to those of you who occasionally read this, just the business of these months make it hard to write as much as I would like.

Last night's Morrissey performance was one for the books as expected. He certainly hasn't lost his swagger, and still remains to be one of the last few, true musicians alive today. Highlight moments for me were as follows: A cover of Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love," his referring to the Republican debates to mistaking it as the movie Cocoon, and closing out the show with "Still Ill." Superb as always....



Oh, and I really enjoyed the Nico video that was played pre-perfomance...

Monday Live (Spooky Edition)

Monday Live

I scrapped my original post in honor of the show I will be absent from tomorrow night. The city of Austin is not unlike that good-looking popular kid from high school, and every neighboring city are the nerdy lackies of said city. He gets all the attention and the attractive girls, leaving his friends, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, etc., on their own. Every touring band I've ever wanted to see this year skips my town entirely in favor of the forever cooler music mecca of the great state of Texas. So, just like in high school, I'll just stay home and listen to angst ridden love songs all night.

Kevin Arnold sells Real Estate

It wasn't that long ago one of my favorite childhood pastimes was re-uploaded into memory (and yes it was a television show), The Wonder Years complete series was available on Netflix. Then, imagine my surprise, the same week New Jersey indie rock posterband Real Estate releases their newest LP, Days. And one such song entitled "Wonder Years," only hightened my excitement of this new release. Of course upon hearing...meh, not so much. I actually heard that last line muttered in my head by Daniel Stern midway through the track.

The latest album is not without it's familiar low-fi surfy charm, albiet very polished and studio friendly. I had to give it a few listens to let it grow on me, but, grow it never really did. There are a few key tracks, one of course being "Out of Tune", which wasn't really that amazing when I heard it a few months back, but now it's kind of the best song on the album. However, I will say, after viewing some of their live takes on the album, I can see behind the veil of clean, uninteresting pop, to the real backbones of these songs....they are meant to be enjoyed live. Really. But that's where the buck stops with me. I know I am being a bit hard on the guys, but when you release a debut album of such high caliber, you can only hope to do just as good at best. They set the standard too high for themselves perhaps. I don't know. It won't stop me from seeing their set in November though...see for yourself.

Anika 2

Even though this album dropped months back, the fresh uncomfortableness of Anika's dark and beautifully imagined pop tunes still make my head go bob. I like the new video of my first favorite track from her debut album.